Fotoeins Fotografie

location bifurcation, place & home

Posts tagged ‘Deutsche Bahn’

Monbijoubrücke, Museumsinsel, Fernsehturm, ThatTowerAgain, Berlin, Germany, fotoeins.com

Fotoeins Friday: RTW10, forty-seven

10 years ago, I began an around-the-world (RTW) journey lasting 389 consecutive days, from 24 December 2011 to 15 January 2013 inclusive.

16 November 2012.

For me, this familiar scene says a lot of “home”.

In this southeast view from Berlin’s Monbijou Bridge, lingering autumn fog and mist partly obscures city landmark Fernsehturm (Television Tower) in the background at left. Also visible are the Rotes Rathaus at centre-right and the imposing structure housing the Bode Museum on the Museum Island at right. Railway tracks cross the island, “squeezed” between the Bode Museum and the Pergamon Museum. A bright-red Deutsche Bahn regional train crosses over the Spree river from left to right (east to west) on its way to Friedrichstrasse station and beyond to Central Station.

I made the image on 16 Nov 2012 with a Canon EOS450D (Rebel XSi) and these settings: 1/125-sec, f/8, ISO800, and 42mm focal length (67mm full-frame equivalent). This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-mIi.

Berlin Hauptbahnhof, B Hbf, Berlin, Germany, Deutschland, fotoeins.com

Germany: 30 years of ICE on the rails (2021)

Above/featured: Berlin Hauptbahnhof – 9 Dec 2015 (6D1). Departing from track 3 is ICE 554 to Köln (front-half) and ICE 544 to Düsseldorf (back-half); trains split in the town of Hamm.

June 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of high-speed Intercity Express (ICE) service on German rail.

In the 1991 vs. 2021 comparison graphic provided by Deutsche Bahn, I’ve marked in green the ICE routes upon which I’ve made dozens of trips since late-2001 (when I moved to Heidelberg). Even after leaving in 2003, frequent annual trips back to Germany meant spending a lot of time planted on express trains across the country. Arriving in Europe mostly meant flying into Frankfurt am Main airport, from which I’d travel:

  • Frankfurt to Berlin, via Kassel
  • Frankfurt to Heidelberg, via Mannheim
  • Frankfurt to Köln
  • Frankfurt to Munich, via Stuttgart
  • Berlin to Frankfurt, via Kassel
  • Berlin to Köln, via Hannover
  • Köln to Berlin, via Hannover
  • Köln to Frankfurt
  • Munich to Frankfurt, via Stuttgart

Over the last few years, the express stretch between Erfurt and Halle/Leipzig has vastly improved the Berlin-Frankfurt and Berlin-Munich routes, cutting the one-way travel time for each route by about one hour. Except for the Erfurt-Halle/Leipzig stretch, I’ve travelled on every “Stundentakt” ICE route (thick red/green in the graphic below).

Intercity Express, Deutsche Bahn, German Rail, Germany, Deutschland

ICE coverage, including recent work on the Erfurt-Halle/Leipzig stretch; graphic courtesy of Deutsche Bahn. My “dozens on ICE” are marked in green; red filled circles indicate cities I frequented the most (B, F, HD, K, M).

Intercity Express, train fleet, Deutsche Bahn, German Rail, Germany, Deutschland

The ICE fleet of trains include vehicles with maximum speeds of over 300 km/h; graphic courtesy of Deutsche Bahn.

Frankfurt am Main Hauptbahnhof, F Hbf, Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Hessen, Germany, Deutschland, fotoeins.com

Morning ICE 5 service from Frankfurt am Main to Basel; how to read this train station signage – 20 May 2016 (6D1).

Hackerbrücke, München, Munich, Bavaria, Bayern, Germany, Deutschland.

Morning light at Munich’s Hackerbrücke station. Foreground: westbound metallic-white ICE train just departing the city’s central station, traveling right to left. Background: red DB regional train approaching central station, from left to right. Photo on 23 Feb 2017 (6D1).

I made three images above with a Canon EOS6D mark1 (6D1). This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-l60.

Osterspai, Rhein, Rhine, Oberes Mittelrheintal, Upper Middle Rhine Valley, Germany, Deutschland, fotoeins.com

Fotoeins Friday on the Middle Rhine: Osterspai

24 May 2016.

This image is of the town of Osterspai, near “kilometre 575” (distance north of the Rhine Falls in Switzerland). In town at left-centre is the Catholic St. Martin’s church, first established in town in 1076 AD/CE. Accompanying the scene are two river boats and two bicyclists in the foreground.

I’m on board a Deutsche Bahn IC (InterCity) train from Heidelberg north to Cologne, along the left (west) bank of the Rhine river. The slower train along the river bank and more scheduled stops allows further opportunities to photograph the right (east) bank of the Rhine. Although overcast, the mid-morning early-afternoon train means any diffuse light will originate “behind” me from the south, and the landscapes will either be front- or side-lit.

In this series, I show images of the Rhine between Mainz and Koblenz which is the area included within the Oberes Mittelrheintal (Upper Middle Rhine Valley) inscribed in 2002 as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I made the image above on 24 May 2016 with a Canon EOS6D mark1, 24-105L glass, and the following settings: 1/160-sec, f/9, ISO1000, and 70mm focal length. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-hMk.

St. Goarshausen, Burg Katz, Rhein, Rhine, Oberes Mittelrheintal, Upper Middle Rhine Valley, Germany, Deutschland, fotoeins.com

Fotoeins Friday on the Middle Rhine: Sankt Goarshausen

24 May 2016.

This image is of the town of Sankt Goarshausen, near “kilometre 556” (distance north of the Rhine Falls in Switzerland). Above town (at upper right) is historical landmark Burg Katz, a reconstruction of a medieval castle and is under private ownership.

I’m on board a Deutsche Bahn IC (InterCity) train from Heidelberg north to Cologne, along the left (west) bank of the Rhine river. The slower train along the river bank and more scheduled stops allows further opportunities to photograph the right (east) bank of the Rhine. Although overcast, the mid-morning early-afternoon train means any diffuse light will originate “behind” me from the south, and the landscapes will either be front- or side-lit.

In this series, I portray images of the Rhine between Mainz and Koblenz which is the area included within the Oberes Mittelrheintal (Upper Middle Rhine Valley) inscribed in 2002 as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I made the image above on 24 May 2016 with a Canon EOS6D mark1, 24-105L glass, and the following settings: 1/250-sec, f/10, ISO1000, and 75mm focal length. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-hMa.

Kaub, Burg Gutenfels, Rhein, Rhine, Oberes Mittelrheintal, Upper Middle Rhine Valley, Germany, Deutschland, fotoeins.com

Fotoeins Friday on the Middle Rhine: Kaub, Gutenfels

24 May 2016.

I’m on board a Deutsche Bahn IC (InterCity) train from Heidelberg north to Cologne, along the left (west) bank of the Rhine river. The slower train along the river bank and more scheduled stops allows further opportunities to photograph the right (east) bank of the Rhine. Although overcast, the mid-morning early-afternoon train means any diffuse light will originate “behind” me from the south, and the landscapes will either be front- or side-lit.

In this series, I portray images of the Rhine between Mainz and Koblenz which is the area included within the Oberes Mittelrheintal (Upper Middle Rhine Valley) inscribed in 2002 as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This image is of the town of Kaub, near “kilometre 546” (distance north of the Rhine Falls in Switzerland). Above town sits historical landmark Burg Gutenfels on the slope accompanied by vineyards.

I made the image above on 24 May 2016 with a Canon EOS6D mark1, 24-105L glass, and the following settings: 1/200-sec, f/9, ISO1000, and 50mm focal length. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-hLW.

Lorch am Rhein, Rhein, Rhine, Oberes Mittelrheintal, Upper Middle Rhine Valley, Germany, Deutschland, fotoeins.com

Fotoeins Friday on the Middle Rhine: Lorch am Rhein

24 May 2016.

I’m on board a Deutsche Bahn IC (InterCity) train from Heidelberg north to Cologne, along the left (west) bank of the Rhine river. The slower train along the river bank and more scheduled stops along the way allow further opportunities to photograph the right (east) bank of the Rhine. Although overcast, the mid-morning early-afternoon train means any diffuse light will originate “behind” me from the south, and the landscapes will either be front- or side-lit.

In this series, I portray images of the Rhine between Mainz and Koblenz which is the area included within the Oberes Mittelrheintal (Upper Middle Rhine Valley) inscribed in 2002 as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This image is of the town of Lorch am Rhein, at “kilometre 540” (distance north of the Rhine Falls in Switzerland).

I made the image above on 24 May 2016 with a Canon EOS6D mark1, 24-105L glass, and the following settings: 1/160-sec, f/9, ISO1000, and 55mm focal length. This post appears on Fotoeins Fotografie at fotoeins DOT com as https://wp.me/p1BIdT-fYw.

Europe, May 2018: final 14 days (IG)

Above: “Monocle”, on ÖBB regional train near Kitzbühel, Austria – 13 May 2018.

From 8 May to 4 June 2018, I travelled through Austria and Germany for 27 consecutive days by train with a two-country Eurail rail pass. I obtained over 10-thousand frames over the four-week span: the mirrorless Fujifilm X70 with fixed-lens prime accounted for 8020 images (77%), and the full-frame Canon 6D with changeable zoom-glass accounted for 2449 images (23%). From this giant haul of pictures, the following provides glimpses and visuals to the final 14 of 27 days, including stays in Salzburg, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, München, and Köln.

(The first 13 days here)

( Click here for more )

Europe, May 2018: first 13 days (IG)

Above: “Monocle”, on ÖBB regional train near Kitzbühel, Austria – 13 May 2018.

From 8 May to 4 June 2018, I travelled through Austria and Germany for 27 consecutive days by train with a two-country Eurail rail pass. I obtained over 10-thousand frames over the four-week span: the mirrorless Fujifilm X70 with fixed-lens prime accounted for 8020 images (77%), and the full-frame Canon 6D with changeable zoom-glass accounted for 2449 images (23%). From this giant haul of pictures, the following provides glimpses and visuals to the first 13 of 27 days, including stays in Innsbruck and Vienna.

(The final 14 days here)

( Click here for more )

Counting year 18 in Germany with an accent on Austria

Above: Lermoos (photo by Bbb, CC BY-SA 3.0).

With two-country Eurail pass in hand, I’m in Germany for the 18th consecutive year. However, my emphasis throughout May will be in Austria. While my extended time in Austria is primarily divided among Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Vienna, I have multiple side-excursions, many of which will involve chasing good spring light and “(wide) pictures in the green.” I doubt I’ll adopt an Austrian accent to my spoken German, but stranger things have happened …

Noticeable below is no mention of Salzburg’s “The Sound of Music”, for which many Austrians have little awareness or knowledge as residents do not consider the film representative of people or country, and about which others online have already described. My interests in Austria lie elsewhere: they lie in my ability and advantage to speak German; the culture of bistros, cafés, and wine taverns; border crossings wiped out by Schengen; Jewish history; Jugendstil and Secession; salt mines; science; and urban art.

2018 is the European Year of Cultural Heritage and is also the year of Vienna Modernism, marking the 100th anniversary year of the deaths of Gustav Klimt, Koloman Moser, Egon Schiele, and Otto Wagner.

( Click here for more )

Ehrwald Bahnhof, Kulmalukko, Wikipedia

Over $500 savings with Eurail AT-DE pass (spring 2018)

Above/featured: Ehrwald station in Austria. 2014 photo by Kulmalukko (CC BY-SA 4.0).

I’m tuned to keeping alive a long-standing streak.

I’m in Germany for the 18th consecutive year this May. But, back “home” bookends the bulk of my time in Austria with key visits to Innsbruck, Salzburg, and Vienna.

I’ve purchased a 2nd-class Eurail Austria-Germany Pass (adult) with 10 (+ bonus 1) non-consecutive days of travel inside an interval of two months. With my preference for open-ended travel over advanced purchase of individual point-to-point tickets, I will save over 500 dollars. Here I describe:

  1. how flexibility with a rail pass provides significant money savings, and
  2. how I validate and activate the rail pass upon arrival in Europe.

( Click here for more )

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